The group exchanged uneasy glances.
But the fingerless Tobias clearly wasn’t interested in diplomacy.
“I’m injured! You think you can just get away with this?!” He pointed at the village head, yelling.
The commotion quickly spread through the village; soon, numerous doors creaked open.
Emaciated, dark faces peered out from the cracks, staring at them.
Even Tobias was terrified.
It wasn’t just his fear… these villagers’ faces were horrifying.
Or rather… bizarre.
They weren’t deformed or disabled, but their features were grotesquely disproportionate: unusually small eyes, impossibly large mouths—an unsettling imbalance.
“We will compensate you…” the village head said calmly, despite Tobias’s outburst.
Tobias coldly snorted but didn’t continue his tirade; the old man had made a public promise, giving him leverage later.
“Grandpa.”
The young woman supporting the village head suddenly spoke.
“It’s getting dark.”
These simple words caused the village head’s expression to change. He hurriedly said, “Let’s… go inside.”
Simultaneously, the villagers quickly closed their doors, falling silent.
The village head hurried onward, as if something were chasing him.
A few minutes later, just before sunset, they finally reached the village head's house.
The house was spacious, but certainly couldn't comfortably accommodate thirteen people.
“I apologize, but there are only three spare rooms. Please excuse the lack of beds tonight,” the village head said apologetically. “Tomorrow morning, if you still can’t leave, I’ll arrange for you to stay in other houses.”
“What?!” Mira immediately protested, clutching her lethargic Corgi. “No! I’ll pay you. You… you have to give me a room to myself!”
“Damn it! I’m injured, and I’m not getting a room to myself, what makes you think you’re so special?!” Tobias’s face was pale; although the bleeding had stopped thanks to the ash, the pain lingered, making his already bad temper even worse.
“How about this? Three rooms; one for the men, one for the women, and we’ll decide about the last room,” Leopold suggested.
“Village head, the seven of us are friends. Can you arrange a room for us? Beds aren't necessary; we can chat, pass the time, and rest on the floor.” Lena stated her preference.
Her suggestion was widely accepted, representing the six travelers' wishes.
Tobias protested, but the numbers were against him.
Lilith's group got a large room, spread out blankets, and lay down to rest, ignoring Tobias's continued complaints.
Lilith settled Elysia on a blanket; she softly thanked her, then leaned against the wall, watching the group.
The room was spacious enough for seven people.
However, they weren’t planning on sleeping soundly.
“Seven of us; one-hour shifts,” Adrian suggested.
His suggestion was practical; no one objected.
Sleeping peacefully in a village known to harbor ghosts was impossible; cooperation was vital.
“What are your thoughts on this village?”
Corbin, still standing, sat cross-legged and looked at the group.
“The village head is strange,” Lena said, a glint in her eyes. “It takes five or six minutes to walk to the village head’s house from the entrance, but it only took two minutes from when the dog started barking until the village head and his granddaughter appeared. Where were they? Why, aside from the village head, his granddaughter, and Xiao Ban, did no one else come out?”
Lena’s question reflected everyone’s suspicion: something was wrong with this village.
The cages covered with black cloth on every doorstep. The villagers confined to their houses…
“The village head’s granddaughter’s words were strange too: ‘It’s getting dark.’ Could something happen after dark that frightens them?”
Corbin added.
“Ms. Hollow, what’s your opinion?”
Lilith, leaning against the wall, appeared lost in thought, then heard her opinion requested.
And it was Liam who asked?
Lilith didn't hesitate. Looking at the group, she shared her thoughts. “The village head’s granddaughter mentioned the ancestral rite; the riddle also mentioned sacrifice. I’ve been thinking about ‘Bloodless Heart,’ and I think I understand it now.”
Her words piqued their interest; had Lilith solved the riddle's meaning?
“The village head said he was the head of Xue Dong village. Xue Dong… blood sacrifice. I don’t think this is a mere coincidence. This ghost is likely connected to the ancestral rite.”
Lilith’s interpretation was accepted.
“Yes, Ms. Hollow makes a good point. We should investigate the ancestral rite. It may have had accidents in the past, killing those who shouldn’t have died…”
“Or perhaps, it was a blood sacrifice, and now… the dead have returned for revenge,” Elena, sitting next to Adrian, calmly stated.
“I… also have an observation.” A soft voice came from the corner.
Everyone looked towards Elysia.
“Just now… as I passed by, I noticed that none of the houses in Xue Dong village have windows.”
What?!
Elysia’s observation initially surprised them, then sparked realization.
“That’s… why I felt such an oppressive sense of confinement in this village!” Corbin slapped his hand on the table, sighing.
Lilith glanced at Elysia; meeting her gaze, she nodded.
Windows?
Why didn't the villagers of Xue Dong have windows?
“Perhaps… they’re afraid of something peering in through the windows?” Corbin mused.
His suggestion was alarming. If that were true, what… was it that lurked outside the windows?
Liam unconsciously tapped his fingers—a habit during contemplation.
He was the cursed victim this time, and cursed victims in survival tasks were almost certainly targeted by the ghost.
Therefore, Liam’s goal wasn’t merely to survive three days but, like Cassandra, to find the hidden rule and then… eliminate it!
...
Night deepened.
It was 11 PM; Elysia was on the first watch.
This wasn’t to burden her; rather, it was a form of protection.
The lights remained on; everyone sat resting with their eyes closed, not fully asleep.
Therefore, Elysia felt little pressure during her watch.
Meanwhile, Tobias and the others finally settled their accommodation.
The two remaining rooms were allocated—one for men, one for women.
Garrick tossed and turned, unable to sleep; Evelyn was his wife, and the remote, isolated village made him uneasy.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Tobias grumbled from beside him.
“S-sorry…”
Garrick, a gentle man, quickly shrank back at Tobias’s displeasure. But then, he felt a sudden urge to urinate.
He couldn’t hold it.
Garrick climbed from the blankets, deciding to use the outhouse.
The village head had mentioned it was outside, but he had to be quick and close the door; he couldn’t linger.
The instructions felt strange, but fear lingered in his heart.
Especially… after seeing the unsettling situation in the village.
Which village kept so many crazed women locked in cages?
But he knew this wasn't his concern; getting the bus fixed or finding another ride back to Eldoria City was the priority.
This trip home with his wife was about making money and saving face.
With that in mind, Garrick calmed slightly. He cautiously opened the door, stepping into the pale moonlight.
The mountain village was terrifying at night.
A chilling mountain wind howled; rustling leaves were occasionally heard; the shadowy darkness under the moon looked like a gaping maw, ready to devour everything.
Garrick didn’t linger, hurrying to the outhouse, unbuckling his trousers.
Suddenly, “Click…” Footsteps sounded outside the wooden outhouse door.
“Who’s there?”
Garrick involuntarily called out.
Then, his eyes widened in terror.
Something… was wrong.
How could footsteps approaching the outhouse be so faint?
Could a human instantly jump from a great distance to nearby?
Cold sweat beaded on Garrick’s forehead.
Garrick forced himself to calm down, biting his lip hard.
Though fear overwhelmed him, he wanted to see who was there.
Perhaps the person’s steps were unusually light; he’d only heard the final step?
He swallowed, slowly crouching, peering under the outhouse door.
A small gap existed beneath the wood—not large, but enough to glimpse something outside.
“It’s nothing… nothing… probably a stray cat, or something blown by the wind…”
Garrick reassured himself, then glanced down through the gap under the outhouse door.
The pale moonlight illuminated… bare earth.
Nothing.
Everything was normal.
“Whew…”
Garrick breathed a sigh of relief; his entire body was drenched, but… nothing unusual. He’d clearly scared himself.
Garrick, relieved, opened the outhouse door.
But…
The moment the wooden door opened…
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
A bloodless face appeared before him.
Its eyesockets were pitch-black, radiating intense malice!
Garrick’s pupils dilated; he couldn’t react, couldn’t even make a sound before he suddenly felt himself… twisting.
Ah…
How… can I see my own back?
His consciousness faded; Garrick’s body collapsed, his eyes wide, his head grotesquely twisted 180 degrees, staring at his own back.
The outhouse door softly closed in the mountain wind.
...
The next morning, the group was awakened by shouting.
A woman was screaming.
Something had happened.
Though not unexpected, a chilling dread settled over them.
The ghost had… acted.
Corbin was the first to rush out, followed immediately by the others, who also sprang to their feet and flung open the door.
Lilith was about to move when she saw Elysia sitting quietly in the corner.
“Come on.”
She knelt and spoke.
Elysia looked at her back, then shook her head. “Go ahead. Taking me along… is too much trouble. I’ll stay in the room.”
“Hurry.”
Lilith urged, seemingly ignoring Elysia’s words.
Elysia bit her lip, finally remaining silent, leaning forward, her arms around Lilith’s neck.
As Lilith stepped out, she saw Evelyn, the screaming woman; her husband Garrick was most likely dead.
The village head approached, leaning on his cane.
“What… happened?”
“What happened? Someone’s dead! There’s been murder in your village!”
Tobias’s face was ashen as he yelled.
Having inexplicably lost a finger, and now with a murder among their group, even Tobias, despite his bravado, only wanted to leave this cursed place.
Liam stood by the outhouse, examining the grotesque corpse lying at the entrance.
Garrick’s neck showed signs of strangulation.
His eyes were wide, his mouth slightly open, as if he'd seen something terrifying before he died.
“When was he found?”
Liam asked.
“Um… just now. As soon as it got light… the woman who went to the outhouse saw him. What a tragedy,” Leopold sighed.
“Damn it! He went out to pee last night, then I fell asleep, and he never came back. You’ve got a murderer in this village! I’m calling the police!” Tobias’s face was grim as he yelled.
Calling the police?
Tobias was bluffing. He’d tried yesterday; there was no cell signal in Xue Dong village, and the remote, mountainous location meant even if the police received a call, it would take a considerable time to reach them.
“Grandpa… what do we do?” The young woman who had supported the village head emerged.
Her expression was grim, but Liam and the others noticed the lack of surprise on her face.
“…Cough… cough… We should prepare the body for burial first,” the village head said after a moment of silence.
The village head’s word held significant weight in this village.
More than the police, in fact. Many remote areas revered customs and traditions, often above the law.
At the village head’s call, the strange villagers, who had remained hidden in their houses, finally emerged.
Their misaligned, disproportionate features gave these silent, gaunt villagers a grotesque appearance.
Even stranger, there were no women among them.
Besides the village head’s granddaughter, all present were male.
The villagers carefully adjusted Garrick’s head, closing his eyes, and laid him on a wooden board.
Tobias continued to rant about leaving and calling the police; Mira trembled, clutching her dog; Leopold sighed repeatedly; Alaric frowned silently; Evelyn sobbed uncontrollably; Garrick, meanwhile, lay peacefully.
The village head looked at Garrick’s body with a complex expression, then turned and entered his house.
Liam glanced at the village head, then, turning back, nodded at Lilith and her group before following.
He was clearly planning to speak to the village head himself.
“Meet at noon. Be careful.” Adrian said before heading off; Elena quickly followed.
Corbin, without a word, also turned and left.
Lena, however, kindly nodded to Lilith and Elysia. “Be careful. Don’t investigate too much during the survival task; waiting for it to end is best.”
Elysia gratefully acknowledged Lena’s well wishes. Lilith, however, seemed lost in thought, ignoring Lena.
Soon, the Fog Gathering members dispersed. They weren’t police; Garrick’s death held little interest for them.
Only Tobias seemed convinced of foul play; the others sensed something was amiss. Garrick, though mild-mannered, was strong and healthy.
Who could kill someone instantly without leaving any external wounds?
The answer was obvious.
“Excuse me, miss. Is your companion’s leg injured?”
Lilith snapped out of her thoughts, looking up. The village head’s granddaughter was speaking.
Her gaze wasn’t on Lilith but on Elysia, whom she looked at with sympathy.
“If you don’t mind, I have a wheelchair you can borrow.”
Both Lilith and Elysia were surprised.
The word “wheelchair”… was odd to hear in a remote mountain village.
“Thank you very much.” Despite her suspicions, Lilith smiled readily.
The granddaughter nodded and left.
Lilith waited with Elysia in silence.
Neither spoke.
Soon, she returned with a wheelchair, looking at Elysia.
“My mother was also disabled. She used this. Now that she’s gone… please don’t mind.”
Elysia repeatedly shook her head, thanking her. “It’s alright. Thank you… By the way, what’s your name?”
“Call me Bingyan.” She seemed reluctant to talk further, turning away after giving her name.
Lilith placed Elysia in the wheelchair, watching Bingyan’s back thoughtfully.
“What are your plans?”
Withdrawing her gaze, Lilith asked Elysia.
Elysia started, then touched the worn wheelchair. “Go ahead. I can manage.”
Lilith nodded without turning back.
Elysia suddenly smiled—a faint but genuine smile.
She maneuvered her wheelchair towards the direction Bingyan had gone.
...
Lilith stood in the village, looking up at the surrounding mountains.
The mountains of Xue Dong Village differed significantly from those of Industry City.
The mountains of Industry City resembled rising steamed buns; those of Xue Dong Village were like a jagged, upraised saw blade, sharp and cold within the dense mountain range.
However, the vegetation wasn't sparse; the southern exposure received little snow, suggesting the name "Xue Dong" had another meaning.
Descending from a hillside, Lilith returned to the village entrance.
The sky was brightening, revealing the village's features more clearly.
Aside from the village head's house, most houses were simple, mud-brick structures with dark, low-pitched roofs.
Some were even thatched with thick layers of tightly packed straw, weighted down by large, cold stones.
Lilith’s movements attracted attention.
Three dark-skinned villagers looked down from above, appraising her.
According to the village head, Xue Dong hadn’t seen outsiders in a long time.
Lilith glanced at the three and waved.
Drawn by curiosity, a slightly taller and older villager approached, followed by the other two.
As they drew closer, Lilith detected a faint smell of decay—a mixture of sweat and dirt from long neglect.
Their clothes were caked in dust; the original colors were indistinguishable.
Moreover, their clothing was nondescript, suggesting they might own only one set and rarely, if ever, washed it.
“Tell me, what are those?”
Lilith knelt, smiling gently at them.
She gestured towards the cages covered in black cloth at each house entrance.
The three children exchanged glances and suddenly grinned.
Lilith's eyes turned cold; she quickly stood and backed away.
Where she had knelt, the smallest child swung a scythe.
Seeing Lilith evade the blade, his eyes gleamed.
Lilith calmly looked back at them.
Their eyes shone brightly, but not with innocent clarity.
No… it was a different kind of purity.
Not innocent goodness, but… innocent malice.
“Clothes… things.”
The tallest child pointed at Lilith, his voice childish.
They seemed to rarely speak, their speech patterns odd.
Lilith shook her head, ignoring him.
The child who had swung the scythe lunged again.
Lilith swiftly raised her leg, delivering a side kick to his face.
She showed no mercy; the kick sent the thin child sprawling, knocking out several teeth and rendering him unconscious.
Lilith’s actions finally conveyed her seriousness.
The other two children, without a word, quickly dragged the unconscious child away.
Lilith stretched her ankle, frowning.
What kind of environment would raise children who readily resorted to violence?
Could it be… that these villagers were bandits?
Lilith touched her chin; it wasn’t impossible…
...
“Damn it, this cursed place is driving me crazy…”
Tobias muttered, leaving the village alone.
He wasn’t willing to die here; in this strange village, no one cared about the death, the men were all ugly, and the women were insane, locked in cages.
Tobias had made up his mind; he’d wait on the mountain road for a day; he was sure to get a ride eventually.
Once he got out, he’d call the police and sue the village.
Lost in these thoughts, Tobias didn’t notice himself wandering deeper into the forest. Only when he looked around did he realize… he was lost.
Trees, all identical trees, surrounded him.
Then, a terrifying thought struck him.
Wasn’t this… a maze?
Tobias’s eyes widened as he searched for a way out.
Even in daylight, he could see the sun through the leaves. Surely, he couldn’t get lost following the sun?
With grim determination, Tobias stared at the sun and walked forward.
But the deeper he went, the denser the forest became, and the darker it grew.
“Impossible…”
Tobias muttered in disbelief.
Then, he saw someone ahead.
He recognized the silhouette; wasn’t that one of the other passengers?
“Hey? You’re leaving, too?”
The figure turned; it was Corbin.
Corbin looked at the sweating Tobias, slightly puzzled. “Why are you here?”
Tobias looked at him, bewildered. “Where else would I be? I’m leaving the village!”
“This is…” Corbin looked at him in surprise. “Isn’t this the end of the village?”
“What?” Tobias’s eyes widened; he looked up at the sun. “I walked straight from the village entrance; how did I end up at the end?”
Tobias’s words shocked Corbin. Had Tobias… circled back from the entrance to the end of the village?
“Then what are you doing here…” Tobias glanced around, but Corbin suddenly covered his mouth.
“Shh!”
Corbin held Tobias tightly, whispering, “Quiet! Someone’s coming!”
Even Tobias understood the gravity of the situation and nodded quickly.
Corbin released him and cautiously peered forward.
A man was digging under a tree, using a pickaxe.
Tobias had good eyesight and saw clearly.
“A corpse… they’re burying a body!” Tobias whispered, his voice filled with horror.
This village was deeply wrong; which normal village buries people in broad daylight?
Suddenly, a sound came from behind them.
“Who’s there?”
The man with the pickaxe turned and shouted.
His face was visible; it was Xiao Ban!
However, Corbin and Tobias remained hidden. After a few breaths, Xiao Ban seemed to remember something; his body trembled, and he fled with his pickaxe.
“Come out!”
Corbin stared at the nearby tree and shouted sharply.
Silence followed, then several figures emerged from behind it.
“Damn it, it’s you guys?!”
Tobias glared at them. “I said I was leaving, and you idiots kept messing with me, pretending to comfort Evelyn. Why are you here?!”
“Mr. Tobias… we didn’t say we wouldn’t leave. But when we chased after you, we could only see your back, so… we followed,” Leopold said, his face a picture of misery.
It turned out that the group following Tobias were the other passengers.
Corbin sighed in relief; despite his earlier bluster, he’d been prepared to push Tobias aside and run.
Everyone seemed relieved.
Then, Corbin noticed something was wrong.
“This is bizarre…” Alaric suddenly said. “We… were clearly heading out of the village. How did we end up back at the end?”
“Didn’t you follow me?” Tobias said. “If I got lost, you would too.”
“But…” Alaric frowned, puzzled. “Your back disappeared quickly. After we went into the woods, we couldn’t see you, so… we just picked a direction and followed the sun…”
“What?” Tobias doubted his ears, staring at Alaric and the others. “You followed the sun?”
“Y-yes…” Mira quickly replied, caught in his gaze.
“Impossible…” Disbelief was written across Tobias’s face.
“What is it?” Corbin quickly asked.
“What…” A flicker of fear crossed Tobias’s eyes. “I was clearly walking towards the sun…”
As soon as he said it, everyone was startled, then felt a simultaneous chill.
How was this possible?
One person walked towards the sun; others followed the sun, yet they all ended up in the same place?
The only explanation was… a maze!
Corbin’s skin prickled.
Something was wrong; they might be trapped in this village!
He suddenly remembered the village head’s granddaughter’s words.
Those words… “I hope you… can leave…”
An eerie atmosphere settled over them—this wasn't speculation but a real, surreal phenomenon.
Corbin decided to return to the village, regroup, and inform Liam and the others.
The ghost’s ability was clear.
Disorientation.
“Let’s go back to the village,” Corbin swallowed, regaining his composure.
But his words received no response.
Corbin started; then… a voice echoed.
“This is bizarre…”
“We… were clearly heading out of the village. How did we end up back at the end?”
Corbin’s pupils constricted; he turned, looking incredulously at Alaric.
Alaric looked puzzled and confused.
“Didn’t you follow me?”
“If I got lost, you would too.”
Tobias repeated… verbatim… his earlier words.
“But…” Alaric frowned. “Your back disappeared quickly. After we went into the woods, we couldn’t see you, so… we just picked a direction and followed the sun…”
The same… words… repeated exactly!
“What?”
“You followed the sun?”
Tobias’s reply was identical.
Corbin stumbled back, leaning against a tree, trembling.
His gaze swept across the puzzled faces, his voice shaking. “Why… are you repeating yourselves?”
But… Corbin’s question was ignored.
“Y-yes…”
Just as before, after glancing at Mira, she trembled and repeated her answer.
“Stop it!”
Corbin roared, his forehead drenched in sweat. The scene was too bizarre!
“Impossible…” Tobias, seemingly oblivious, continued to display his disbelief.
What was happening?
Why were they repeating themselves?
Panic seized Corbin; fear overwhelmed him.
He’d faced deadly situations before, but… this was the most bizarre!
Wait!
Corbin suddenly recalled something… after Tobias said “impossible,” he’d continued… as if speaking for himself?
No, it couldn’t be; I’m normal…
Just as Corbin reassured himself, a strange sensation washed over him. His face contorted into a puzzled expression as he asked:
“What?”
The strange feeling vanished; control returned, but his face was devoid of blood.
He was certain… he’d encountered a ghost!
“What…” Tobias’s voice continued. “…I was clearly walking towards the sun…”
What now… what should he do?
It was like a film rewinding… Alaric’s question, Tobias’s answer, Alaric’s explanation, Tobias’s disbelief, Mira’s reply, Tobias’s shock, then his own… question, Tobias’s answer.
The loop ended with the final exchange.
Tobias’s shocked expression remained, then slowly faded.
But then, a doubtful voice echoed again.
“This is bizarre…”
Alaric… spoke again.
“We… were clearly heading out of the village. How did we end up back at the end?”
“Enough!”
Corbin finally lost control, grabbing Alaric’s collar.
“Stop repeating yourselves!”
But… Alaric, though his collar was seized, showed no reaction, remaining puzzled and confused.
“Didn’t you follow me?”
“If I got lost, you would too.”
Tobias repeated himself, verbatim.
Corbin’s eyes were bloodshot; he released Alaric and punched Tobias in the face!
Corbin didn’t hold back; the blow sent Tobias staggering, his face quickly swelling.
But… the usually aggressive Tobias didn’t react!
He was like a broken record, repeating his lines.
Wait… calm down; he needed to stay calm!
Corbin took a deep, desperate breath, trying to suppress the rising terror.
This task had been strange from the start.
Liam, the longest-surviving member of Fog Gathering, was chosen as a cursed victim. Two cursed victims from the last task, Adrian and Lilith, were chosen again. The total number wasn’t replenished to forty-nine; only Elysia joined…
This task… was bizarre.
Though they hadn’t seen a ghost yet, the surreal events were incomprehensible even to the seasoned Corbin.
He knew panic was deadly, but… figuring out the source of the strangeness wasn’t his forte!
Corbin regretted following Tobias into the woods at the edge of the village.
But… that was the rule of Fog Gathering; he couldn’t ignore his true thoughts.
Finally calming himself, Corbin made a decision.
Though not as intellectually gifted as Liam, Sylvia, Damian, or Adrian, he was decisive.
Once decided, he turned and ran!
Yes, ran!
If he couldn’t stop the bizarre phenomenon, he’d leave!
But… Corbin soon realized he’d underestimated the task’s difficulty and horror.
The surroundings seemed to be rotating in place, showing almost no change.
The familiar voices echoed again.
“What?”
“You followed the sun?”
“Y-yes…”
“Impossible…”
The repetition continued; they were repeating their previous words, unaffected by his brief escape!
Despair washed over Corbin.
He had no options.
He seemed trapped in an endless loop, constantly replaying the same conversation.
Time and space in this area seemed to be isolated, inescapable.
Corbin abandoned his previous plan.
This… was far more than simple disorientation.
The ghost’s power was beyond their imagination!
What would Liam… do in this situation?
Corbin refused to give up; clinging to his last shred of hope, he searched for a way out.
This ghost, which hadn’t killed him directly, clearly wasn’t merciful, or… playing games.
Fog Gathering ghosts weren’t idly cruel; all their methods… served to drag their victims into Hell.
Therefore… this time loop was its killing method!
If he couldn’t escape this terrifying time loop quickly, he would die; he would certainly die!
Corbin’s face contorted; biting his lip, he racked his brain. His gaze fell on someone.
Wait… him…
Him!
It had to be him!
He was the ghost!
But… then, a chilling gaze washed over Corbin.
He turned to find Tobias, Alaric… everyone staring at him impassively!
“What did you say? Why aren’t you speaking?”
A strange, alien tone, filled with malice, pierced Corbin’s soul.
His body froze; a pale, dead face… loomed before him.
...
Lilith wandered through Xue Dong village.
Lena’s bewilderment at this was understandable.
Wandering around a village known to harbor ghosts—a typical action for a newcomer after a task…
Lilith was unconcerned by Lena's thoughts, even if she knew them.
Exploring the village, she noticed an odd architectural pattern.
Viewed from above, the buildings formed a… precise inverted triangle.
This observation stopped Lilith; she fell into thought.
The apex of the inverted triangle was the village head's house.
But… where were the other two points?